Still Life

by DreamCatcher Games

Product Features

• Play as two characters - Private Eye, Gus McPherson and FBI Agent, Victoria McPherson
• Compelling storyline set in modern Chicago and late 1920s Prague
• Challenging puzzles Integrated into every part of the storyline
• Life-like, crime scene investigations of gruesome serial homicides
• Full-screen inventory with an examine feature, Zoom function and combine button, allowing wider use of inventory items

Product Details

• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B000809QMA
• Product Dimensions: 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.6 inches ; 12.3 ounces
• Media: Video Game
• Release Date: June 13, 2005
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,125 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

Platform: Xbox

Product InformationIn Still Life you're on the hunt for a serial killer. Face five dead bodiesa mountain of circumstantial evidence and an angry boss breathing down yourneck. This killer has a strange link to your character's past and you'll haveto dig deep and unravel the truth before the murderer strikes again. Beautifullydetailed environments and stunning cinematics.Product Features Play as two characters - Private Eye Gus McPherson and FBI Agent Victoria McPherson Compelling storyline set in modern Chicago and late 1920s Prague Challenging puzzles Integrated into every part of the storyline Life-like crime scene investigations of gruesome serial homicides Full-screen inventory with an examine feature Zoom function and combine button allowing wider use of inventory items

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars for the Story!, July 8, 2005

By 

Scarletaka "Stacey" (United States) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Still Life (Video Game)

I'll begin by saying this is a mystery. I played the xbox version of the game and it is basically a click and play style game with a few puzzles thrown in the mix. For most people I'd heard it was boring because of this fact. However, the story alone kept me involved with what was basically a movie with game appeal. Still Life is the story of Victoria (an FBI agent) who is in the middle of serial case. You are taken back to her relative an ex-detective in the 1920's (you also play/see his back story) that also is investigating similar murders. I don't want to give away more story than that. It's mostly you doing the investigating finding things, asking questions (via the point and click method I mentioned) so most of the game is on the simple side to play with those puzzles thrown in that can be a real pain unless you are great at them.

All that aside the graphics, music, storyline, and acting are wonderfully done. This game was better than most multi-million dollar hollywood blockbuster out today. With a cliff hanger ending that I hated only because I want more!!! I loved this game. The fact of the gameplay easily evaporated in my mind as I sat eagerly awaiting each turn in the story.

It does have a rating of M and should because this is a very graphic game.

I highly recommend this game with the warning that the majority of the gameplay is easy. But I did break down with the puzzles and search out walk throughs online to get past points that I was stuck on and made it through the game now twice.

The music they chose is also haunting and adds to the elements of the story. I have been longing for a detective story like this and was happy to have found Still Life. So with the warnings I have given you go in with your eyes open and give it a try and enjoy. I know I did.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Budget Title, August 25, 2005

By 

Terry Mesnard (Bellevue, NE) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

= Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Still Life (Video Game)

You get what you pay for. Its true for almost everything in this world. You buy a $10 new game, chances are there is a reason its $10 and not $50. So, when you look at a "budget title" like many from the Adventure Company, you need to understand that things aren't going to be at the same grand scale of say Halo 2 or Final Fantasy.

Before I get onto my review, a reader mentioned the game ends in a cliff hanger. Its true. There is a third game that was planned to finish off this series (the game started with Post Mortem) but now that the studio responsible for this game was bought by Ubisoft, who knows if it will come to be. Here's hoping it will!

Games like Still Life don't have many fans on the consoles. Adventure games (Still Life, Post Mortem, The Longest Journey, Sierra et al) thrive on the PC market but you rarely see these games cross over onto the Console. Myst and Monkey Island are two of the better known ones, but you'd be hard pressed to find many more above and beyond them. I think this is probably why there are some bad reviews here; most console players don't know exactly what they are getting themselves into.

I happen to like most adventure games that are logical. I couldn't get into Monkey island because I never did figure out why I was connecting the old sock, the string cheese and the hook to make a contraption to escape my situation. True, Still Life has its own share of silly riddles and puzzles (why Vodka would be the code for the morgue is beyond me) but its not to the degree others have been.

Games that are like Still Life get my mind going. A mix of Seven, CSI and adventure game, Still Life is a sequel of sorts to Post Mortem. You play as Vic MacPherson, a field agent, who is investigating a series of murdered young women. The crime eventually starts to draw parallels with an earlier string of murders commited 75 years ago. Is it a copy cat? Or is something more malicious going on?

The best thing about adventure games, for me, is that they usually are very story focused. The stories are usually very good and well thought out. Still Life is no different. It's a dark story that earns the M rating in the first few scenes. Bad languange, partial nudity, violence and gore abound, but hover around the range of, say, Seven.

Going back to my budget comment, the FMVs aren't of the best quality. In fact, some of them look worse than those on the first Playstation. But the graphics in game are stunning, really. Beautiful pre-rended backgrounds lend an air of creepiness and fit the theme. The first building, dilapidated and severely gross is a good indication of the rest of the game. The character models are lacking, though. Particularly when Vic runs. She walks okay, even though she walks like a super model, but running is both slow and clunky. There are also a ton of quick loads. The camera is presented in a cinematic way (ala Resident Evil) and sometimes moving between camera frame to camera frame there is a quick 1 second or so load. Annoying because it breaks the pacing but not detrimental.

The dialogue is hit or miss. Sometimes Vic's voice is spot on and other times its silly and sounds like a high schooler with no acting experience reading the lines. Other voices range from great to bad. I like that the game gives you an option of sticking just to the facts when talking or asking about every day things. By pressing the R or L trigger, you can discuss facts pertinent to the investigation or about the weather. I do kind of wish there were dialogue trees. It takes out the investigative nature of the game if you simply choose to pull L to continue the story.

Surprisingly, for a budget game, the game is presented in 720p which is awesome considering not many Xbox games are presented in it. It also has 5.1 surround sound in game and is Live Aware. Not bad for a 20 buck game!

All of these complaints aside, you get what you pay for. In this case, you get more. For every bad quibble I have with the game, there's something good. And, it really boils down to the game cost me $19.99 new. You can't hold it to the same standard of a game that costs almost 3 times as much. If you like murder mysteries and don't mind the format of an adventure game, you can't go wrong with Still Life. If you like adventure games and only own an Xbox, you will enjoy Still Life.

5.0 out of 5 stars Still Life - A Forgotten Adventure, August 1, 2011

By 

UziSpray (USA) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Still Life (Video Game)

Sadly, unlike titles such as The Longest Journey, Dreamfall: The Longest Journey, Indigo Prophecy, Syberia, Syberia II, etc., Still Life has been pretty much forgotten about, and it's truly a shame, as this happens to be one of the best adventure games I've played. Still Life tells the story of FBI Special Agent Victoria McPherson, who is investigating a series of brutal murders in Chicago. This is a dark and grim adventure title, but it has great character and a real sense of place, as both the characters and settings are detailed and interesting.

I must say, Microids did a fantastic job with the Xbox port. The controls work rather well; the graphics are crisp and detailed; the game just works and performs admirably on the Xbox hardware. It's a testament to their developing abilities, as well as the power of the Xbox hardware.

Still Life is a well-crafted dark adventure that'll stay in your mind long after you complete it.

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